University Research Council (URC)

The University Research Council (URC), administered by the Senior Vice President for Research, is the governance body for research operations and strategies at Penn State. The URC members serve as research liaisons for their academic areas including University Park, the commonwealth campuses and the College of Medicine at Hershey. 

The members include Associate Deans of Research, Institute Directors, Director of Federal Relations, Assistant Vice Presidents, Fellows, and other PSU delegates appointed by the Senior Vice President for Research that are broadly representative of the research-oriented focus among the Penn State community.  Meetings occur eight times throughout the calendar year.   

For questions regarding URC meetings or membership, please contact osvpr@psu.edu. For a printer-friendly table of URC members, please click here

 

 

URC Members

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Andrew August

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Penn State Abington
119 Sutherland Building, Abington, PA
axa24@psu.edu
215-881-7300
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D. Scott Bennett

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
College of the Liberal Arts
105 Sparks Building, University Park, PA
dsb10@psu.edu
814-865-1439
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Michael J. Bernstein

Director of Research
Penn State Abington
119 Sutherland Building Abington, PA
mjb70@psu.edu
215-881-7479
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Mallika Bose

Associate Dean for Research, Creative Activity, and Graduate Studies
College of Arts and Architecture
102A Borland Building, University Park, PA
mub13@psu.edu
814-863-0408
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Rick Brazier

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research
Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses
111 Old Main, University Park, PA
rab27@psu.edu
814-863-0327
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James Crandall

Director
Environmental Health and Safety
Steam Services Building Suite 301, University Park, PA 16802-2116
jxc6277@psu.edu
814-863-3767
Eric Donnell Headshot

Eric Donnell

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs
College of Engineering
102 Hammond Building, University Park, PA
etd104@psu.edu
814-867-6182
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Kathryn Drager,URC Chair 2023-2024

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education
College of Health & Human Development
329 Health & Human Development Building, University Park, PA
kdd5@psu.edu
814-863-2426
Deborah Ehrenthal Headshot

Deborah Ehrenthal

Director
Social Science Research Institute
114 Henderson Building University Park, PA
dbe5172@psu.edu
814-865-1528
Photo of Hamid Emami-Meybodi

Hamid Emami-Meybodi

Chair for RSCA
Faculty Senate
151 Hosler Building
hze109@psu.edu
814-863-3987

Jenni Evans

Director
Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
509 Walker Building, University Park, PA
jle7@psu.edu
814-865-3240
Gregory M. Fosco Headshot

Gregory Fosco

Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology Associate Director, Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
College of Health and Human Development
306 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA
gmf19@psu.edu
814 865-5622
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Raymond Hohl

Director
Penn State Cancer Institute
400 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
rhohl@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
717-531-6585
photo of Peter Hopsicker

Peter Hopsicker

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean for Research
Penn State Altoona
W110A Smith Building, Altoona, PA
pmh12@psu.edu
814-949-5238
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Mihoko Hosoi

Associate Dean for Collections, Research, and Scholarly Communications
University Libraries
510 Paterno Library, University Park, PA
mxh5873@psu.edu
814-863-5451
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Steven Huddart

Senior Associate Dean
Smeal College of Business
210 Business Building, University Park, PA
sjh11@psu.edu
814-865-0041
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Judy Hupcey

Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Research
College of Nursing
Hershey Medical Center
jhupcey@psu.edu
717-531-4160
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Greg Kelly

Senior Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, Technology
College of Education
241 Chambers Building, University Park, PA
gjk13@psu.edu
814-863-1489

Sharareh (Sherri) Kermanshachi

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at Penn State Harrisburg, Associate Dean of Research at Penn State University Park
Penn State Harrisburg
777 W. Harrisburg Pie C114 Olmsted Bldg. Middletown, PA, 17057
svk5464@psu.edu
Jennifer Kraschnewski Headshot

Jennifer Kraschnewski

Director
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI); Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute
500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
jkraschnewski@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
717-531-8161

Daniel Leri

Director
Innovation Park
101C Technology Center, University Park, PA
danleri@psu.edu
814-865-2880
Bruce Logan Headshot

Bruce Logan

Director
Institutes of Energy and the Environment
132 Land and Water Building, University Park, PA
bel3@psu.edu
814-863-0291

Carleen Maitland

Interim Associate Dean for Research
College of Information Sciences and Technology
E397J Westgate Building
cfm12@psu.edu
(814) 863-0640

James Marden

Associate Director
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
201 Huck Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802
Jhm10@psu.edu
814-863-3842
Anthony Olorunnisola Headshot

Anthony Olorunnisola

Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education
College of Communications
215 Carnegie Building, University Park, PA 16802
axo8@psu.edu
814-863-7997

Troy Ott

Interim Director
Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
304 Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences University Park, PA 16802
tlo12@psu.edu
814-441-2657
Headshot of Dara Purvis

Dara E. Purvis

Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships
Penn State Law
327 Lewis Katz Building, University Park, PA
dep23@psu.edu
814-865-8996
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Clive Randall

Director
Materials Research Institute
N-221 Millennium Science, University Park, PA
car4@psu.edu
814-863-1328
Alicyn Marie Rhoades Headshot

Alicyn Marie Rhoades

Interim Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
Penn State Behrend
203L Jack Burke Research Center, Erie, PA
amh234@psu.edu
814-898-6287

Joshua A. Robinson

Acting Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
N-337 Millennium Science Complex
jrobinson@psu.edu
814-863-8567
Blair Siegfried Headshot

Blair D. Siegfried

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education
College of Agricultural Sciences
217 Ag Admin Building, University Park, PA
bds313@psu.edu
814-865-3136
Yuval Silberman Photo

Yuval Silberman

Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Research Associate Professor of Neural and Behavioral Sciences
College of Medicine
H109 Neural & Behavioral Science Hershey, PA 17033 US
yus72@psu.edu
717-531-6407
photo of Aleksandra Slavkovic

Aleksandra Slavkovic

Associate Dean for Research, Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Eberly College of Science
421A Thomas Building
abs12@psu.edu
814-863-4918
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Allan Sonsteby

Associate Director, Office Head, Communications and Navigation Office
Applied Research Laboratory
300 Information Sciences and Technology Building, University Park, PA 16802
sonsteby@psu.edu
814-865-7299
Michael Stedelin Headshot

Michael J. Stedelin

Director
Office of Research Information Systems
mjs926@psu.edu
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Debra Thurley

Assistant Vice President
Office for Research Protections
The 330 Building Suite 205 University Park , PA
djd116@psu.edu
814-865-2955
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Sheila L. Vrana

Associate Dean for Research
College of Medicine
H138 Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
svrana@psu.edu
717-531-8495
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Amanda Wintersteen

Director of Federal Relations
Office of Government and Community Relations
117 Old Main, University Park, PA
AWintersteen@psu.edu
814-865-5431
Bin Yan Headshot

Bin Yan

Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Technology Management
Office of Technology Management
113 Technology Center, University Park, PA
bby5136@psu.edu
814 865-6227

Invited Attendees

Headshot of Kim Brue.

Kim Brue

Assistant Vice President for Research Communications
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304B Old Main, University Park, PA
kch1@psu.edu
814-865-6042
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Lara Fowler

Interim Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of the Sustainability Institute
Institutes of Energy and the Environment
Lewis Katz Building, University Park, PA
lbf10@psu.edu

Jenifer Hoffman (per Judy Hupcey)

Director for Grants and Contracts
Center for Nursing Research
201 Nursing Sciences Building, University Park, PA
qzh2@psu.edu
814-865-9337
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Michael Lanagan

Associate Director
Materials Research Institute
N-329 Millennium Science Complex, University Park, PA
mxl46@psu.edu
814-865-6992
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Vijay Narayanan

Interim Director of Limited Submissions, Associate Dean of Innovation for the College of Engineering
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
W323 Westgate Building, University Park, PA
vxn9@psu.edu
814-863-0392
Jennifer Nicholas Headshot

Jennifer Nicholas

Director of Postdoctoral Affairs
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
jun149@psu.edu
814-863-9658
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Chris Pfeiffer

Limited Submission Program Manager, Business Systems Analyst
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
cxp7@psu.edu
814-863-2173
Ruth Weber Headshot

Ruth Weber

Assistant Vice President for Research Operations
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
rim100@psu.edu
814-876-1463

Ex-Officio Members

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David Giannantonio

Assistant General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
227 West Beaver Avenue, Suite 507, State College, PA 16801
djg455@psu.edu
814-867-4088

Michelle Gluck

Associate General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
The Pennsylvania State University 227 West Beaver Avenue Suite 507 State College, PA 16801
mvg6006@psu.edu
(814) 863-2657
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John Hanold

Associate Vice President for Research and Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
110 Technology Center
jhh6@psu.edu
814-863-0768
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Michelle Hutnik

Director of Research Analytics and Communications
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
mzh17@psu.edu
814-863-6311
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Todd Jackson

Director
Animal Resource Program
101 Centralized Biological Lab, University Park, PA
taj5330@psu.edu
814-863-7778
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Leslie Parent

Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Research and Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies
College of Medicine
H175, Hershey Medical Center
lparent@psu.edu
717-531-7199

Andrew Read

Senior Vice President for Research
Office of the Senior Vice President for Research
304 Old Main University Park, PA 16802
afr3@psu.edu
814-865-6332
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Michael F. Verderame

Senior Associate Dean
The Graduate School
211 Kern Building, University Park, PA
mxv8@psu.edu
814-865-2516

Douglas E. Wolfe

Associate Vice President for Research Director of Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Vice President for Research
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
dew125@psu.edu
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Candice Yekel

Associate Vice President for Research and Director
Office of Research Protections
Suite 250, The 330 Building, University Park, PA
cay3@psu.edu
814-865-1775